‘Real’ Mobile TV System To Launch Within Four Months
Telecoms giant BT is to launch its wholesale mobile TV service within four months, providing users with a choice of around six crystal clear channels, in addition to 350 DAB radio stations, direct to their mobile phone.
Delivering an update on the system’s development, Emma Lloyd, managing director of the BT Movio service, told delegates at the MediaGuardian Changing Media Summit that the company was focused on “providing a winning customer experience, rather than a winning technology.”
BT’s theory is that consumers interested in receiving mobile TV are largely uninterested in how it is delivered, as long as a clear signal is provided, with a choice of popular channels.
“We’ve focused on making it incredibly easy to use,” Lloyd explained. “You literally just press the TV button on the side and you are taken to a programme guide. We think it’s important that it’s that easy.”
Explaining the attractiveness of delivering TV signals over DAB radio technology, the BT boss continued: “This is real TV, broadcast as it should be, but direct to your handset. Broadcast one-to-many is the only way to reach the mass market, it simply can’t be matched by a telecoms company alone.”
The quality of the Movio service cannot be denied. A unit identical to that used in BT’s trial displayed smooth video with no trace of the blocking and breakup synonymous with current 2G and 3G video technology.
The service will launch with six TV channels later this year, although the system has the capacity to carry up to 20. But Lloyd believes that the addition of DAB radio to the package will help to convince consumers of its value. “The combination of radio and TV is a consumer proposition that shouldn’t be underestimated,” she explained. “What we have created is a compelling user experience on a future-proof platform.”
Advertisers and broadcasters will also find the service an attractive addition to their portfolio, however, with Lloyd stating that red button functionality, and the ability for consumers to directly purchase services through their phone was essential to its success.
“This is the first broadcast and mobile telecommunications convergence device, and we really have to make the most of that. It has a payment system built in and interactivity through existing GPRS or 3G networks.”
BT’s first Movio customer is Virgin Mobile, which will roll the service out towards the end of the year (see BT Signs Deals For TV Content And Mobile Platform). However, both companies are keen to focus on customer service and quality to avoid a repeat of the under whelming experience of many early adopters of 3G.
The last thing we want to be pushing is the technology, and then for people to be under whelmed” Lloyd told delegates at the Changing Media Summit. “Virgin mobile will be rolling out a campaign focusing on the customer benefits of Movio, not the technology.”
BT: 0207 469 2337 www.btplc.com Virgin Mobile: www.virginmobile.com